diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index 786990e277..0bd3f37c37 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -337,32 +337,37 @@ static void init_tree_desc_from_tree(struct tree_desc *desc, struct tree *tree)
 	init_tree_desc(desc, tree->buffer, tree->size);
 }
 
-static int git_merge_trees(int index_only,
+static int git_merge_trees(struct merge_options *o,
 			   struct tree *common,
 			   struct tree *head,
 			   struct tree *merge)
 {
 	int rc;
 	struct tree_desc t[3];
-	struct unpack_trees_options opts;
 
-	memset(&opts, 0, sizeof(opts));
-	if (index_only)
-		opts.index_only = 1;
+	memset(&o->unpack_opts, 0, sizeof(o->unpack_opts));
+	if (o->call_depth)
+		o->unpack_opts.index_only = 1;
 	else
-		opts.update = 1;
-	opts.merge = 1;
-	opts.head_idx = 2;
-	opts.fn = threeway_merge;
-	opts.src_index = &the_index;
-	opts.dst_index = &the_index;
-	setup_unpack_trees_porcelain(&opts, "merge");
+		o->unpack_opts.update = 1;
+	o->unpack_opts.merge = 1;
+	o->unpack_opts.head_idx = 2;
+	o->unpack_opts.fn = threeway_merge;
+	o->unpack_opts.src_index = &the_index;
+	o->unpack_opts.dst_index = &the_index;
+	setup_unpack_trees_porcelain(&o->unpack_opts, "merge");
 
 	init_tree_desc_from_tree(t+0, common);
 	init_tree_desc_from_tree(t+1, head);
 	init_tree_desc_from_tree(t+2, merge);
 
-	rc = unpack_trees(3, t, &opts);
+	rc = unpack_trees(3, t, &o->unpack_opts);
+	/*
+	 * unpack_trees NULLifies src_index, but it's used in verify_uptodate,
+	 * so set to the new index which will usually have modification
+	 * timestamp info copied over.
+	 */
+	o->unpack_opts.src_index = &the_index;
 	cache_tree_free(&active_cache_tree);
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -795,6 +800,20 @@ static int would_lose_untracked(const char *path)
 	return !was_tracked(path) && file_exists(path);
 }
 
+static int was_dirty(struct merge_options *o, const char *path)
+{
+	struct cache_entry *ce;
+	int dirty = 1;
+
+	if (o->call_depth || !was_tracked(path))
+		return !dirty;
+
+	ce = cache_file_exists(path, strlen(path), ignore_case);
+	dirty = (ce->ce_stat_data.sd_mtime.sec > 0 &&
+		 verify_uptodate(ce, &o->unpack_opts) != 0);
+	return dirty;
+}
+
 static int make_room_for_path(struct merge_options *o, const char *path)
 {
 	int status, i;
@@ -2677,6 +2696,7 @@ static int handle_modify_delete(struct merge_options *o,
 
 static int merge_content(struct merge_options *o,
 			 const char *path,
+			 int file_in_way,
 			 struct object_id *o_oid, int o_mode,
 			 struct object_id *a_oid, int a_mode,
 			 struct object_id *b_oid, int b_mode,
@@ -2751,7 +2771,7 @@ static int merge_content(struct merge_options *o,
 				return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (df_conflict_remains) {
+	if (df_conflict_remains || file_in_way) {
 		char *new_path;
 		if (o->call_depth) {
 			remove_file_from_cache(path);
@@ -2785,6 +2805,30 @@ static int merge_content(struct merge_options *o,
 	return mfi.clean;
 }
 
+static int conflict_rename_normal(struct merge_options *o,
+				  const char *path,
+				  struct object_id *o_oid, unsigned int o_mode,
+				  struct object_id *a_oid, unsigned int a_mode,
+				  struct object_id *b_oid, unsigned int b_mode,
+				  struct rename_conflict_info *ci)
+{
+	int clean_merge;
+	int file_in_the_way = 0;
+
+	if (was_dirty(o, path)) {
+		file_in_the_way = 1;
+		output(o, 1, _("Refusing to lose dirty file at %s"), path);
+	}
+
+	/* Merge the content and write it out */
+	clean_merge = merge_content(o, path, file_in_the_way,
+				    o_oid, o_mode, a_oid, a_mode, b_oid, b_mode,
+				    ci);
+	if (clean_merge > 0 && file_in_the_way)
+		clean_merge = 0;
+	return clean_merge;
+}
+
 /* Per entry merge function */
 static int process_entry(struct merge_options *o,
 			 const char *path, struct stage_data *entry)
@@ -2804,9 +2848,12 @@ static int process_entry(struct merge_options *o,
 		switch (conflict_info->rename_type) {
 		case RENAME_NORMAL:
 		case RENAME_ONE_FILE_TO_ONE:
-			clean_merge = merge_content(o, path,
-						    o_oid, o_mode, a_oid, a_mode, b_oid, b_mode,
-						    conflict_info);
+			clean_merge = conflict_rename_normal(o,
+							     path,
+							     o_oid, o_mode,
+							     a_oid, a_mode,
+							     b_oid, b_mode,
+							     conflict_info);
 			break;
 		case RENAME_DIR:
 			clean_merge = 1;
@@ -2902,7 +2949,7 @@ static int process_entry(struct merge_options *o,
 	} else if (a_oid && b_oid) {
 		/* Case C: Added in both (check for same permissions) and */
 		/* case D: Modified in both, but differently. */
-		clean_merge = merge_content(o, path,
+		clean_merge = merge_content(o, path, 0 /* file_in_way */,
 					    o_oid, o_mode, a_oid, a_mode, b_oid, b_mode,
 					    NULL);
 	} else if (!o_oid && !a_oid && !b_oid) {
@@ -2943,7 +2990,7 @@ int merge_trees(struct merge_options *o,
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	code = git_merge_trees(o->call_depth, common, head, merge);
+	code = git_merge_trees(o, common, head, merge);
 
 	if (code != 0) {
 		if (show(o, 4) || o->call_depth)
diff --git a/merge-recursive.h b/merge-recursive.h
index 50a4e6af4e..d863cf8867 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.h
+++ b/merge-recursive.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef MERGE_RECURSIVE_H
 #define MERGE_RECURSIVE_H
 
+#include "unpack-trees.h"
 #include "string-list.h"
 
 struct merge_options {
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ struct merge_options {
 	struct strbuf obuf;
 	struct hashmap current_file_dir_set;
 	struct string_list df_conflict_file_set;
+	struct unpack_trees_options unpack_opts;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/t/t3501-revert-cherry-pick.sh b/t/t3501-revert-cherry-pick.sh
index 783bdbf59d..0d89f6d0f6 100755
--- a/t/t3501-revert-cherry-pick.sh
+++ b/t/t3501-revert-cherry-pick.sh
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cherry-pick "-" works with arguments' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'cherry-pick works with dirty renamed file' '
+test_expect_success 'cherry-pick works with dirty renamed file' '
 	test_commit to-rename &&
 	git checkout -b unrelated &&
 	test_commit unrelated &&
diff --git a/t/t6043-merge-rename-directories.sh b/t/t6043-merge-rename-directories.sh
index 0b60eb8053..b94ba066fe 100755
--- a/t/t6043-merge-rename-directories.sh
+++ b/t/t6043-merge-rename-directories.sh
@@ -3298,7 +3298,7 @@ test_expect_success '11a-setup: Avoid losing dirty contents with simple rename'
 	)
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '11a-check: Avoid losing dirty contents with simple rename' '
+test_expect_success '11a-check: Avoid losing dirty contents with simple rename' '
 	(
 		cd 11a &&
 
diff --git a/t/t7607-merge-overwrite.sh b/t/t7607-merge-overwrite.sh
index 9c422bcd7c..dd8ab7ede1 100755
--- a/t/t7607-merge-overwrite.sh
+++ b/t/t7607-merge-overwrite.sh
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ test_expect_success 'will not overwrite removed file with staged changes' '
 	test_cmp important c1.c
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'will not overwrite unstaged changes in renamed file' '
+test_expect_success 'will not overwrite unstaged changes in renamed file' '
 	git reset --hard c1 &&
 	git mv c1.c other.c &&
 	git commit -m rename &&
diff --git a/unpack-trees.c b/unpack-trees.c
index bf8b602901..5b922c1939 100644
--- a/unpack-trees.c
+++ b/unpack-trees.c
@@ -1486,8 +1486,8 @@ static int verify_uptodate_1(const struct cache_entry *ce,
 		add_rejected_path(o, error_type, ce->name);
 }
 
-static int verify_uptodate(const struct cache_entry *ce,
-			   struct unpack_trees_options *o)
+int verify_uptodate(const struct cache_entry *ce,
+		    struct unpack_trees_options *o)
 {
 	if (!o->skip_sparse_checkout && (ce->ce_flags & CE_NEW_SKIP_WORKTREE))
 		return 0;
diff --git a/unpack-trees.h b/unpack-trees.h
index 6c48117b84..41178ada94 100644
--- a/unpack-trees.h
+++ b/unpack-trees.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef UNPACK_TREES_H
 #define UNPACK_TREES_H
 
+#include "tree-walk.h"
 #include "string-list.h"
 
 #define MAX_UNPACK_TREES 8
@@ -78,6 +79,9 @@ struct unpack_trees_options {
 extern int unpack_trees(unsigned n, struct tree_desc *t,
 		struct unpack_trees_options *options);
 
+int verify_uptodate(const struct cache_entry *ce,
+		    struct unpack_trees_options *o);
+
 int threeway_merge(const struct cache_entry * const *stages,
 		   struct unpack_trees_options *o);
 int twoway_merge(const struct cache_entry * const *src,